Combined bottle lifter and carrier



June 23, 1942, c, M FRANKS ET A@ 2,287,731

COMBINED BOTTLE LIFTER AND CARRIER Filed om. 2o, 1941 l2 sheets-sheet i ETH-:fm1

June 23, 1942. n Q M FRANKS ET AL 2,287,731

COMBINED BOTTLE LIFTER AND CARRIER v liled oct. 2o,` 1941 2 sheets-sheet 2 BIEF-.2

Patented June 23, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT orrl coMBINEn no'r'rLE Lnf'rna ANn CARRIER Charles M. Franks and William A. Nightingale, Evansville, Ind.

Application October 20, 1941, Serial No. 415,814

`l2 Claims.

invention relates to devices for lifting and carrying liquid containers and more particularlyv to a device especially designedfor lifting and carrying either full or empty beverage diSPeRS- I lng bottles.

The object of the invention is to provide a comparatively simple and inexpensive device of the character described adapted to be positioned over 'a standard case or crate of beverage dispensing bottles and by means of which a predetermined number of flled'bottles may be conveniently lifted from the case and carried to a refrigerator for cooling or icing.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combined bottle lifter'and carrier including a the bottles within the receiving openings when the supporting handle is depressed and means for suzcessively releasing said locking means and actuating the gripping means to grip the neck of a bottle when an upward pull is exerted on said supporting handle.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve this class of devices so as to increase their utility, durability and eliiciency.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specication and in which similar nu# merals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a combined bottle lifting and carrying device constructed in accord nce with the present invention showing the device in position to be placed over the bottles in a crate or case for the purpose of removing a ,predetermined number therefrom,

Figure 2 is a similar view, partly in section, showing the necks of the bottles extending through the openings in the supporting plates,

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional iew taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the 1ine 4 4 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a similar view taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 3,

'Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view on the v line 6 6 of Figure 3,

. Figuren is a side elevation showing the spporting handle elevated to cause the movable plate to grip the neck of a bottle, I vFigure 8 is a horizontal sectional view taken on theline 8 8 of Figure 7,

Figure 9 is -a transverse sectional View taken on the line 9 9 of Figure 8,

Figure 10 is an end elevation, partly in section,

showing the and Figure 11 is a similar view taken on the line Il II of Figure 8. A,

The combined bottle lifting and carrying device forming the subject-matter of the present invention comprises upper and lower relatively manner of gripping the bottle necks,

'stationary and movable platesl and E having registering openings 'l formed therein and adapted to receive the neck of a beverage bottle, in-

dicated at 8. The opposite ends of the upper plate 5 are bent inwardly over the lower plate 6 to form guide flanges 9 which serve to maintain the plates in cooperative relation to each other at al1 times.

Associated 'with the supporting plates and mounted for vertical movement therethrough is a supporting handle l0, the side members II of which extend throughregistering transverse slots i l2 and I3 formed in the upper and lower plates and have their lower ends rigidly connected by spaced transverse rods It which by engagement with the adjacent surface of the lower plate 6 serve to limit. the upward movement of the supporting handle. The end walls of the slots l2 and I3 are oiset with respect to each other so that one end wall of the upper slot I2 will project over and partially overlap-the lower slot I3 while one end wall of the lower slot I3 overlaps the adjacent end wall of the upper slot I2, as indicated at I5 in Figure 6 of the drawings. The lower ends of the side members I I of the supporting handle are provided with grip actuating members I6, the opposite side walls of which are upwardly tapered, as indicated at E1, and adapted to lbear against the overlapping wall I5 of the lower slot I3 when an upward pull is exerted on the operating handle thereby to shift the lower plate 6 laterally to reduce the size of the openings 1 and thus cause the walls of said openings to firmly grip the neck of a bottle and prevent accidental displacement thereof when carrying bottles from place to place.

Associated with the handle and rigidly secured to the top thereof in any suitable manner is a locking device Iffor holding the openings 1 in the upper and lower plates in registration with each other when positioning the device over a case containing lled bottles. The locking device I8 is preferably of substantially inverted U- shape construction to form spaced resilient arms I9 which extend through registering slots 20 in the plates and B and have their lower diverging ends 2I tapered and terminating adjacent the stop rods I4. The metal constituting the resilient arms I9 is bent inwardly to form oiset shoulders 22 adapted to spring over adjacent walls of the slots 20 when downward pressure is exerted on the operating handle and thus hold the openings 'I in the supporting plates in alinement with each other so as to permit the necks of the bottles to extend therethrough. When an upward pull is exerted on the handle, the shoulders 22 will be moved to released lposition so as to permit the members I6 to actuate the movable plate to grip and hold the bottles when carrying the same from place to place. It will be understood that the openings 'l in the supporting plates will be spaced to agree with the spacing of beverage bottles in a standard case or crate so that, when the device is positioned over the bottles, the necks of a predetermined number of said bottles will project through said openings In operation the handle Il is pressed downwardly so as to cause the openings in the stationary and movable plates to register, and in which position said plates will be held by the shoulders 22. The device is then positioned over a case of bottles with the necks of the bottles extending within the openings 'l and an upward pull exerted on the handle Il. The initial upward movement of the handle serves to first release the shoulders 22 from engagement with the'walls of the slots 2l and a further upward movement thereof causes the inclined walls of the members Ii to bear against the projecting walls I5 of the slots I2 and I3 and move the lower plate 6 laterally with respect to the upper plate thereby decreasing the diameter of the openings 1 and causing the walls of said openings to rmly grip the necks of the bottles, the stop rods Il by engagement with the lower plate serving to limit the upward movement of the supporting handle. The bottles may then be conveniently carried to a refrigerator and placed therein for the purpose of cooling or icing the beverage.

While the device is particularly designed for carrying lled bottles, it can also be used with equally good results for carrying empty bottles.

. It will, furthermore, be understood that, while we have shown the device adapted for carrying six bottles, said device may be constructed to carry any desired number of bottles without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A device of the class described including relatively stationary and movable plates having registering openings therein adapted to receive the neck of a bottle, and a supporting handle movable through the plates and provided with means coacting with said plates for actuating the movable plate to grip the bottle neck when an upward pull is exerted on the handle and to release said movable plate from gripping engagement with the bottle neck when the handle is depressed.

2. A device of the class described including relatively stationary and movable plates having registering openings therein adapted to receive the neck of a bottle, and a supporting handle movable through slots in the plates and provided with means coacting with the walls of said -slots for shifting the movable plate laterally to cause the walls of the openings to grip the bottle neck when an upward pull is exerted on the handle and to release said movable plate from gripping engagement with the bottle neck when the handle is depressed.

3. A device of the class described including relatively stationary and movable plates having registering openings therein adapted to receive the neck of a bottle, a supporting handle movable through the plates, means carried by the handle for locking the walls of the openings in the plates in registration with each other, and means carried by the handle andxcooperating with slots in the plates for causing the walls of said openings to grip the bottle neck when the locking means is released.

4. A device of the class described including relatively stationary and movable plates having registering openings therein adapted to receive the neck of a bottle, a supporting handle movable through slots in said plates, a locking device carried by the handle and coacting with other slots in the plates for holding the openings in registration with each other, and means for successively releasing the locking device and shifting the movable plates laterally to cause the walls of the openings in said plates to grip the neck of a bottle when an upward pull is exerted on the handle.

5. A device of the class described including relatively stationary and movable plates having registering openings therein adapted to receive the neck of a bottle and provided with spaced transverse slots, the end walls of which are oilset with respect to each other, a supporting handle movable through said slots, there being auxiliary slots formed in the plates between the firstmentioned slots, a locking member carried by the handle and provided with offset shoulders adapted to engage the walls of the auxiliary slots for holding the openings in said plates in registration with each other, and means carried by the handle and engaging the offset end walls of the mst-mentioned slots for shifting the movable plate laterally to cause the walls of the openings to grip the neck of a bottle when an upward pull is exerted on said handle.

6. A device of the class described including relatively stationary and movable plates having registering openings formed therein adapted to receive the neck of a bottle and provided with main and auxiliary transverse slots, a handle slidably mounted within the main slots and including side members, stop rods connecting the lower ends of said side members, a locking device carried by the handle and provided with resilient arms extending through the auxiliary slots and having odset shoulders adapted to engage the walls of the auxiliary slots for holding the openings in the plates in registration with each other, said side members of the handle being provided with upwardly tapered portions adapted to en gage the walls of the main slots for shifting the movable plate laterally to cause the walls of the openings in said plate to grip the neck of a bottle when the locking device is released.

7. A device of the class described including relatively stationary and movable plates, one of which is provided with inturned flanges forming a guide for the other, said plates being provided with main' and auxiliary transverse 'slots and having openings formed therein adapted to receive the neck of a bottle, a handle having side portions slidably mounted within ,the main slots, stop rods connecting the lower ends of said side members, a locking device secured to the handie and provided ,with resilient arms having tapered terminals and provided .intermediate their ends with oiset shoulders adapted to engage the walls oi' the auxiliary slots iorholding the openings in the plates in registration with each other, and means carriedby the side members of the handle and adapted to engage the end walls of the main slots for shifting the movable plate laterally to reduce the size of the openings and cause the walls of said openings to grip the neck of abottle when an upward pull is Vexerted on the supporting handle.

8. A device yof the class described including relatively'stationary and -movable plates having registering openings thereinkadapted to receive the neck of a bottle, a supporting handle mounted for vertical movement through said plates, a lockingdevice carriedby the handle and engaging said plates for holding .the openings in registration with each other, and means carried by the handle and cooperating with said plates for first releasing the locking device and f then shifting the movable plate laterally to reduce the diameter of the openings and cause the walls of said openings to grip the neck of a bottle when an upward pull is exerted on the supporting handle.

9. A device of the class'described including relatively stationary` and movable plates having main and auxiliary transverse slots formed therein and provided with openings adapted to receive' the neck of a bottle, an operating handle including side members having their lower ends provided with upwardly tapered portions coacting with the end walls of the main slots. and a lock- `ing device secured to the handle and having spaced spring arms, extending through the auxiliary slots with4 their lower ends deilected laterally and tapered downwardly, said spring arms having their intermediate portions bent laterally to i'orm offset shoulders for engagement with the walls of the auxiliary slots, the tapered serving to shift the movable plate laterally to cause the walls of the openings to grip the neckv of a bottle when an upward said handle.

10. A device ofthe class described including relatively stationary and movable plates having main and auxiliary transverse slots formed therein and provided with registering openings adapted to receive the neck'of a bottle, a supporting handle having side members operating within the main slots, a locking device carried by the handle and cooperating with the walls of the auxiliary slot for locking th'e openings in registration with each other when a downward pressure is exerted on the handle, and means carried by the side mmebers of the handle and cooperating with the end Walls of the main slots to rst release the locking means and subsequently shift the movable plate laterally to cause the walls of said openings to grip the neck of va bottle when an upward pull is exerted on the handle.

11. A device of the class described including relatively stationary and movable members havpull is exerted on ing registering openings adapted toreceiv the neck of acontainer, and a supporting handle pro from' gripping engagement with the container CHARLES M. FRANKS. WILLIQAM A. NIGHTINGALE. 

